Side slipping weft detector for looms



March 14, 1950 A. CEDERLUND 2,500,518

S IDE SLIPPING WEFT DETECTOR FOR LOOMS Filed Feb. 8, 1949 INVENTOR.

ALBERT CEDERLUND w, F W

ATTORNEY.

latentecl Mar. 14, 1950 SIDE SLIPPING WEFT DETECTOR FOR LOOMS Albert Cederlund, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 8, 1949, Serial No. 75,240

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in side slipping Weft detectors for looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a detector wherein the detecting element or finger can be readily removed and replaced.

One type of side slipping weft detector employs a pivoted lever and a detector finger slidable thereon along an axis offset from the pivot of the lever in the direction of the length of the bobbin being detected. The detector finger is generally provided with some form of roughened surface which embeds itself in a sufficient supply of weft to prevent turning of the lever but slides on a bare bobbin to effect rocking of the lever when the weft is depleted. The detector finger is normally held in rearward detecting position by some form of light spring which is compressed when ample weft is present but resists compression when weft is absent and causes the lever to swing.

These detector fingers are subject to damage because of their light-weight delicateconstruction and it isoccasionally necessary to replace them. Furthermore, the character of weft being woven may change from time to time, in which event it is desirable to use a feeler tip most appropriate to the type of weft in use. It is an important object of the present invention to provide a weft detector so constructed as to permit easy replacement of a detector finger. includes a retaining cap removable from the lever and when in position providing with the lever a cavity or recess for reception of part of the detector finger and its spring.

It is usually necessary to hold the tip of the feeler with its corrugations or the like in vertical position and it is a further object of the invention to provide a member secured to the detector element having a fiat surface to engage and slide along part of the retaining cap to resist turning of the detector element.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide the lever with a pair of spaced lugs to position the retaining cap and provide one of the lugs with a laterally opening slot through which the detector finger can be moved after removal of the cap.

The aforesaid lever is normally held by a torsion spring in such position as to place the detector tip properly for engagement with the bobbin being detected. This spring has one end connected to the lever and another end adjustably connected to a collar or the like adjustable angularly on a stud on which the lever is pivoted.

In the past it has been possible to set this collar The detector 2 down so close to the lever as to resist free movement of the latter. It is a still further object of the invention to construct the stud with a stop which will prevent the collar from engaging the lever.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of the invention is set forth.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of the weft replenishing mechanism having the invention applied thereto, the shuttle box and lay being shown in cross section,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on line 3-3, Fig, 2,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4, Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a detailed vertical section on line 5--5,

Fig. 4.

Referring particularly to Fig. l, the loom frame Ill supports a magazine foot ii on which is mounted a stud l2 for the transferrer arm E3. The stud has secured thereto an arm M- to which a support i5 is secured in adjusted position by a bolt IS. A stud l1 extending horizontally through the support l5 has mounted on the forward end thereof a carrier l8 upturned at its forward end l9 for engagement with a lateral projection 20 of the transferrer arm at the time of a weft replenishing operation. A spring 2! interposed between the carrier l8 and stationary support l5 normally holds a carrier iii in rear position. The rear end of the carrier is provided with two bolts 25 extending vertically through the carrier and also through a fiat preferably sheet metal base 25 of the weft detector which is des-- ignated herein generally at D.

The matter thus far described is of common construction and of itself forms no part of the present invention. The mounting for the base is that used on rayon looms, but any other convenient form of mounting for plate 26 can be employed.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, the base 26 has secured thereto an upright stud 21 having an upper reduced end 28 to define a shoulder 29. A lever 30 has a hub 3| rotatable on the lower part of the stud 2! and surrounded by a torsion spring 32 the lower end of which is operatively connected to the lever as at 33 and the upper end 34 of which is inserted into one of several holes 35 in a collar 36. The latter rests on the shoulder 29 and is thus kept spaced from and out of engagement with the lever 30, and is held in fixed angularly adjusted position on stud 21 by a set screw 31.

The lever 35} has a net laterally extending arm 40 which. is enlarged as at M and formed-with front and back lugs .2 and 43, respectively, which project as viewed in Fig. 4 to the right of a substantially straight vertical wall 64 on the lever-t, the wall extending back and. forth. and being. transverse of the bobbin being detected} preferably at right angles to the bobbin when the lever 35 is in normal position. The. front. lug is:

provided with a preferably round hole 4'5 cxtending horizontally in a back and forth direction;

while the rear lug '33 is formed witha slot 4.6.-

which opens laterally, or in a direction away from the main part of lever 56, as shown in Fig.

A retaining cap 51} is formed with fiat parallel topand bottom plates 51 and 52 respectively,

'joined by' a vertical wall 53 which engages the lugs 42- and ii and is; positioned by them. The right hand parts of the top andbottom plates 51 and 52, the wall 53, and the wall M- on the lever provide an inclosed pocket or recess. designated herein at 55. A small bolt 56 passing throughthe top and bottom plates and also through the lever iii holds the cap to. the lever. Thisbolt may have a'hea-d: lilengaging top" plate 5| and have a. nut 58 screwed onthebottom thereof. When the nut and bolt are-removed theicap can be slipped off lever 40.

The detector finger. designated generally at 60 comprises a straight wire Si to the rear. end of which issecured a feeler tip 62. havingvertical corrugations represented at 63. in Fig. 2. The wire 6.! extends through theslot-dd-andthe cavity 55 and has its forward end extending through A lightweight compression hole 25. in lug 32. spring 65 surrounds that part of the wire 51 in the. recess 55.and has its forward end in engagement with lug :32 and has its rear end in engagement. with ashoulder or stop fiii which is fastened to the wire at, as by welding. or soldering. The spring. 65. normally holds. this shoulder against the rear lug it. The. stopmaybe of square. form as shown more particularly inF'ig. 3 sothat. its

top and bottom and-right side as viewed in Fig. 3 I will be'close. to or engage the adjacent parts. of

caplet, while.- the leftside thereof. asseen in Fig.3 is-close to or engages wall i tof lever 30.

In operation, the. torsion spring wilthold the lever 3t. normally in the position shown in Fig.2. At each detecting beat of the loom a bobbin-B willbe presented to and. engage. thetip 52.. If sufiicient. weft for continued weaving is present the. teeth or corrugations 53 will. become embedded in the. weft and the wire 6iwillbe moved forwardly against the. action of light. compression spring 55. When insufiicient weft is present, as

indicated in Fig- 2, the detector tip will move to the right from the position shownin Eig..2.-with.- out substantial compression ofthe. spring. 65. This will effect rocking of. lever 3d,. andthis rock'- ing. can be utilized to. give indication of. weft exhaustion. As shown herein the indicationis given electrically.

Lever ii has a forward extension iii to which .is secured adepending pin. "it for engagement with a plunger T201" an electric switchv 73' secured to'the under. side of the. baseZE, as. by screw 14. The switch will normally be-openwhen the parts are in the position shown in. Fig.2,butwhenthe detector lever 4c swings in a. clockwise. direction to the wire 6!" and the stop 66, and the wire 6| can be moved from the full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4, after which the wire can be moved rearwardly to remove its forward end from the hole. After a new detector element has. had its forward end inserted into the hole 4'5 and is slipped back to the full line position shown in Fig. 4 the cap can be replaced. During this exchange of detector elements the part of the wire Giimmediately. to the. rear of the stop 66- will slide in the open slot 46.

From the. foregoing. it will be seen that the invention sets forth. a simplev form of side slipping weft detector wherein. the. detector elements can. be readily removed and replaced by taking the retaining cap. off the lever 3 ll and then moving the detector element. laterally away from the lever. and then rearwardly. The. stop 66 is of such form. that. it prevents thewire 6| fromturningon its axis and therefore. maintains the. tip 62 in correct position. While. all four sides of this stop have been shownas flat and. capable of engagement with adjacent. surfaces. either. on. the retaining. cap. or the. lever 30;. it. will. oi.- course sufiice if. only one. face. of the. stop is flat. and. in engagementwith one. or. another. of'. the flat. surfaces on. either the. cap! or. lever. It will also be seen. that the shoulder 29 limitsdownward move.- ment of the collar 36 and prevents the latterirom frictionally interfering with. the. relationship of the forces exerted by springs 32 and..6'5 when the detector indicates.

Having thus described the. invention it will. be seen. that changes and' modifications of the. foregoing, specific disclosure may. be made without departing. from the spiritandiscope of theinventioru What is claimed as new is:

I. In a side slipping, weft. detector for. theweft bohbinof a loom,..a base. normally at rest-,. pivot means on said base, a. fiat detector. lever mounted on said pivot means for angular movement, resilient means normally holding the lever indetecti-ng position,. spaced front and back. lugs on said. lever projecting laterally therefrom,.are.- tainingcapihaving; top and bottom. platesheld on said. lever. and having a. side. wall. engaging and positioned by said lugs, said) retaining. cap and lever. defining arecess between saidlugs, a detector finger slidably mounted through saidlugsand recess and havingaifeeler tipsecuredl to the rear end. thereof, anda spring surrounding the detector finger within. the recess engaging the forward lug and acting on. the. finger urging the latter rearwardly.

2. In a side slipping weft detector for the weft bobbin. of. a. loom... a. basenormally in. stationary position. a lever pivotally mounted on the base and having spaced. frontand. rear. lugs. and awall extendingbetween said-=lugs, a-retaining cap. re-

engaging, and. positioned by the: lugs, the wall. of

thelever and said. retaining; cap defining: a recess between said lugs, a detector finger having a feeler tip secured to the rear end thereof, said finger extending through the recess and having a shoulder adjacent to the rear lug, and a spring surrounding that part of the detector finger located within the recess engaging the front lug and holding the shoulder yieldingly against the rear lug, said rear lug having an open slot therein through which the detector finger extends, said slot being normally closed by said retaining cap, the latter when removed from the lever permitting removal of the detector finger through said slot.

3. In a side slipping weft detector for the bobbin of a loom, a base normally in stationary position, a fiat lever pivotally mounted on the base and extending laterally from the axis of the lever in the direction of the length of the bobbin, front and rear spaced lugs on said lever, the lever having a Wall between said lugs located intermediate the latter and the axis of the lever, a retaining cap having fiat top and bottom plates and a side wall positioned by said lugs and spaced from the wall of the lever, removable means holding the retaining cap on the lever so that said wall of the lever and the retaining cap normally define a recess between said lugs, the rear lug having a slot therein opening in the direction away from said axis of the lever and normally closed by said side wall of the retaining cap, a detector finger extending through said slot and recess and front lug and having a shoulder thereon within the recess for engagement with the rear lug, said finger having a feeler tip secured to the rear end thereof, and a spring surrounding that part of the detector finger within the recess engaging the front lug and normally holding the shoulder yieldingly against the rear lug, said retaining cap when removed permitting lateral removal of that part of the finger adjacent to said shoulder through said open slot.

4. In a side slipping weft detector for the weft bobbin of a loom, a base normally in stationary position, a detector lever pivotally mounted on the lever and having a part thereof extending laterally from the axis of the latter in the direction of the length of the bobbin, front and rear lugs on said lever extending from the latter in a direction away from said axis, the rear lug having a slot opening in a direction away from the stud and the front stud having a hole therein opening in i a direction toward the rear lug, a detector finger extending through said slot and hole and rearwardly beyond the rear lug and having a feeler tip secured to the rear end thereof, a shoulder on the detector finger for engagement with the rear lug, a spring surrounding that part of the detector finger between the shoulder and the front lug normally holding the shoulder yieldingly against the rear lug, a retaining cap having a side wall positioned by said lugs normally clcsing said slot, removable means normally holding the retaining cap on the lever, said shoulder engaging said side wall of the retaining cap to limit movement of the finger in said open slot when the cap is in position on the lever, said cap when removed from the lever permitting lateral movement of the detector finger out of said slot.

5. In a side slipping weft detector for the weft bobbin of a loom, a base normally at rest, a detector lever, pivotal connections between the base and the lever, said lever extending laterally from said pivotal connection in the direction of the length of the bobbin and having a forwardly and baokwardly extending wall, a front lug on the lever extending in the general direction away from said pivotal connections from the forward end of the wall, a rear lug on the lever at the rear part of said wall extend'ng generally in the direction away from said pivotal connections, the front wall having a hole therethrough and the rear lug having a slot opening in a direction away from said pivotal connection, a detector finger comprising a straight wire extending through the slot in the rear lug and the hole in the front lug and having a feeler tip secured to the rear end thereof, a spring surrounding the detector finger and engaging the front lug, a shoulder on said detector finger between said lugs engaged by the spring and normally held yieldingly against the rear lug, and a retaining cap removably held on said lever having a side wall engaged and positioned by said lugs and spaced by the latter from said wall on the lever and normally closing said open slot, said shoulder being positioned for engagement with said side wall of the retaining cap to limit movement of the detector finger in said slot in a direction away from the pivotal connection, and said shoulder and cap being formed to operate to prevent angular or axial movement of the finger relatively to said cap, said retaining cap when removed permitting the detector finger to be moved laterally out of the open slot and then rearwardly for removal from the hole in the front lug.

ALBERT CEDERLUND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,924,197 Payne Aug. 29, 1933 1,947,624 Smith Feb. 20, 1934 2,023,705 Smith Dec. 10, 1935 2,254,535 La Chance Sept. 2, 1941 

